Losing It by Sandy McKay

Title: Losing It



Author: Sandy McKay



Published: Dunedin : Longacre Press, 2007



Pages: 217



Snippet: "I don't have a problem, I'm not crazy and I don't need help."



Summary: Fifteen-year-old Johanna Morrison is in hospital, writing letters to her best friend, Issy. As part of her therapy Jo is not allowed to leave her room, use the phone, have visitors or even wash her hair. Not unless she agrees to eat. But Jo doesn't want to eat because to her that would mean giving in and losing what little control she has over her life. Jo suffers from anorexia and her condition has reached crisis point. For now, contact with Issy is the only thing keeping her sane. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries)



Review: Losing It is a really amazing read about a girl struggling with anorexia and bulimia.  It's quite different to a lot of other books because it is in the format of letters and diary entries with the odd noticeboard notice here and there.  Because of this format Losing It is a very fast read.





I really like Jo, her character was quite believable, I never once doubted that this wasn't a real girl.  Her struggle with anorexia is really sad and it was sad to see just how much she struggled and didn't want to admit she had a problem at first.





There were a few really sad parts in Losing it too.  I found myself feeling bad at some of these parts and wishing there was something I could do.  But this is just a book so I couldn't do anything.





The story itself is highly engaging and little bits of information about Jo's past are given out at a time making it a book that is hard to put down.





Losing It is a really unique and really good book that focuses on anorexia and bulimia. If you're interested in the kind of books that deal with issues relating to body image and self perception then Losing It is a good book to read. 



Source: Library








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This kiwi indicates that this book is written by a New Zealand author. It is also set in New Zealand.Source URL: https://free1image.blogspot.com/search/label/self-perception
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Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern

Title: Get Well Soon





Author: Julie Halpern





Published: New York : Feiwel and Friends, c2007





Pages: 193





Snippet: "The cafeteria was just like any cafeteria, except that instead of jocks at one table and goths at another, there were drooly old people at one table and people talking to themselves at another."





Summary: When her parents confine her to a mental hospital, an overweight teenaged girl, who suffers from panic attacks, describes her experiences in a series of letters to a friend. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries Website)





Review: The first thing that drew me to Get Well Soon was the cover, it's so bright and eye-catching and I just had to pick it up.  

Once I picked it up I found Get Well Soon hard to put down.





At first glance, Get Well Soon could be considered a light novel that gives a lot of laughs.  And that is true, I found myself laughing out loud at so many parts, there were so many hilarious parts.   I also found the book to be a quick and breezy read.  If I had a lot of spare time I most likely would've been able to read it in one sitting.  The pages just seemed  to flow easily.





Taking a further look into Get Well Soon, looking past the lighter side there is a bit more to it.  Firstly, there is Anna who feels really bad about herself.  The impression I got from what she said about herself was that she felt like she was overweight and she just didn't feel great about herself.  At the same time she found it hard to believe what others thought of her.  I liked Anna, it was really great to watch her grow as a person throughout the book.





All of the characters in Get Well Soon were amazing.  So many of them I loved.  They were so funny and it's not everyday you read a funny book about people in a hospital.





I think that Get Well Soon is a really good book and it shows some important teen issues such as weight issues and self-perception in a lighter way.  But it is definitely a book that is worth reading.  Definitely check it out.





Source: LibrarySource URL: https://free1image.blogspot.com/search/label/self-perception
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